Wandering in Storyland

Meersel-Dreef Travel Blog

This morning for the first time in my vacation I woke up at 6.30AM. Why? Because I promised an old friend I would meet him for a walk at 8.00AM. Never actually have walked for a few miles other than through jungle territory, I was surprised that his strength and tempo were not too hard to keep up with for me. Maybe it was because of the stories he told on the way...

Like the first one, just a few meters after we started walking. He walked over to an old tree on the side of the road, touched it and looked up to it. 'Come here,' he said, 'and take a look. There is something up here you have to see.' High through the branches covered with summerleaves was a little statue of the Holy Mary. I was surprised because it was an extremely high place just to put one up for fun and so he started telling me about how it got there.

the two-country point between Holland and Belgium

When his mom was dying he asked for the statue and she said to him: 'You can only have it if you find a worthy place for it.' He kept his promise by hanging the statue in the tree his mom always passed on Sundays with her husband, overlooking the place she loved the most: the Markdale.

Even if you don't have that much stories to share, on the walking route are several stones with poetry lines that make you wonder about everything while you walk along. Passing the Marian-tree, where my old friend told this girl Marian the last story before her illness took the better of her. Or the walk-through-water, where a ridiculous sign says that a bike should not go that way (but 2 meters around) because the road has a small river running through.

the lonely caravan

Well I have walked through it without getting wet feet!

After a while you stumble upon an old carvan in the fields which reminds you most instantly of Christopher McCandless and his journey through the US, re-told in the movie 'Into the Wild.' And you look around, wondering of there is someone using the caravan like he did.

And the point where you cross from Holland to Belgium is definitely picture-worthy. One foot in Holland and one foot in Belgium makes for hilarious photographs! And than you enter Meerseldreef, the most upnorth village of Belgium. You enter it right near the monastery and the Mary Garden. The last one is beautiful with its outdoor place for holding ceremonies and lighting up candles for your loved ones. Afterwards you turn to the monastery because on its left is a little café and enjoy a cup of coffee before you start walking you way back to Holland!